after the dust clears on the draft posturing and misinformation, it seems pretty clear that the top 2 will be Towns and Okafor... otherwise Minny and LA are smoking crack.
After that, it's pretty clear that the 76ers will take Russell... they need a versatile scorer and he has the biggest boom/bust potential of any player in the top 25 ... That's Hinkie gold. I'm pretty sure the Embiid stuff is exaggerated. Russell will likely be their pick.
Then I think it's pretty much a crap shoot... and although we're all getting draftoverhypeitus, I don't really think the lack of consensus is because of how deep the draft is... I just think it's a lot of hit/miss guys. Mudiay maybe has the best chance of turning into something, but he's a bad fit for the triangle and could be a major bust. Pozingus is getting a lot of press lately, but so did Yi Jianlian. I'm on record as being underwhelmed by Willie Cauley Stein. He should be a nice rim protector, but I'm not convinced he's any better than Bismack Biyombo. There's some guys like Winslow that some people like, but some drafts have him going as low as 8th. I wouldn't blame the Knicks for trading down or out entirely. I"m not as hyped on this draft as most people are. And I kinda see our #16 and #28 picks as borderline worthless. Danny is going to want up or out. Actually, there's some logic in him trading down too. Don't rule that out. I'll be surprised if he stands pat, though.
lol
Gonna need a lot of luck. Of the players taken 11-20 last year, a couple have shown some signs, right? How about the guys taken 22-30?
MIght get a couple role players out of those picks. Might be a couple Fab Melos. Whatever... half the league has a better draft pick than we do this year.
And yeah... WCS is poor man's Biyombo 
Well obviously the picks aren't worthless. And the Biyombo comparison is asinine.
Eh... Hawks just had the best record in the East. Thunder are a perennial contender. They both have better draft picks than us this year.... as does half the league. #16 and #28 aren't worth all that much. They are worth something, sure... People luck out with picks in that range (like Nurkic last year), but it's more likely to net a nobody or role player. I'd be surprised to see us keep both picks.
And the Biyombo comparison is on point.
Your MO is so simplistic. If WCS were on the Sixers, then he'd be another foundation piece. As has been pointed out in other places Cauley-Stein and Noel are virtually identical as players. Limited offensively with great defense. Yet you won't put Noel in his class because it doesn't fit your Sixers cheerleading prerogative.
Even their measurements are comparable, but WCS has the slight edge.
HT
WCS 7' 0.5"
Noel 6' 11.75"
WT
WCS 242
Noel 206
Wingspan
WCS 7' 3"
Noel 7' 3.75"
Standing Reach
WCS 9' 3"
Noel 9' 2"
Age
WCS 21 (4 months younger than Noel)
Noel 21
That's completely asinine. I was big on Noel well before he landed on the 76ers. The fact that I still like him on speaks more to my interest in big man prospects who have transcendent defensive potential than it does about my "love" for the 76ers. I would have gladly traded up for Embiid last season... the fact that he ended up on the 76ers has jack squat to do with my interest in him. He was widely seen as the best prospect in the draft and some felt he should have gone 1st in spite of his injury. The fact that DeAngelo Russell is probably the best guard in this draft and he just so happens to be ending up on the 76ers doesn't mean I'll like him just because he's on the 76ers. If he ends up on the Knicks, he's still a quality asset. I'm not high on Pozingus... I'm not going to be high on him if the 76ers take him.
And as for WCS and NOel... they played together as Freshman. NOel was a better defender back then. Noel made strides in his rookie season... three years into WCS's college career and he showed very minimal improvement. It seems asinine to claim that WCS is better when he wasn't three years ago. I see more Biyombo in WCS than Noel. That's not to say I'm dismissing WCS. I think he'll be a solid rim protector. So is biyombo. I'd be very happy with either on the Celtics. It'd be harder to get WCS than Biyombo, so I'd rather just sign Biyombo and use our assets for something else.
Noel was the #1 prospect in a weak class and still went #6. If he had been completely healthy he would've gone around the Smart range the following year. You also keep saying that WCS has shown minimal improvement. Do you realize what you're saying?
I realize what I'm saying. Do you realize what I'm saying?
Freshman: 8.3 points, 6.2 rebounds, 2.1 blocks, 62%/37%
Sophomore: 6.8 points, 6.1 rebounds, 2.9 blocks, 60%/48%
Junior: 8.9 points, 6.4 rebounds, 1.7 blocks, 57%/62%
*yawn*
Al Horford goes from averaging 5.6 points, 6.4 rebounds, 1.6 points on 48%/58% shooting... To averaging 13.2 points, 9.5 rebounds, 1.8 blocks on 61%/64% shooting
Joakim Noah goes from averaging 3.5 points, 2.5 rebounds, 0.7 blocks on 60%/57% shooting as a freshman to 14 points, 7.1 rebounds, 2.4 blocks on 63%/73% as a sophomore
Aldridge averaged 9.9 points, 5.9 rebounds, 1.5 blocks to 15 points, 9.2 rebounds, 2 blocks.
Blake Griffin goes from averaging 14.7 points, 9.1 rebounds, 0.8 blocks... to 22.7 points, 14.4 rebounds, 1.2 blocks
Tim duncan goes from averaging 9.8 points, 9.6 rebounds, 3.8 blocks... to 21 points, 14.7 rebounds, 3.3 blocks
Paul Millisap goes from averaging 15.6 points, 12.5 rebounds, 1.7 blocks to 19.6 points, 13.3 rebounds, 2.3 blocks
David Lee goes from averaging 7.0 points, 4.7 rebounds to 13.6 points, 9 rebounds
Roy Hibbert goes from averaging 5.1 points, 3.5 rebounds, 1.3 blocks (47% shooting) to 13.4 points, 6.4 rebounds, 2.2 blocks (61% shooting)
Brook Lopez goes from 12.6 points, 6 rebounds, 1.7 blocks to 19.3 points, 8.2 rebounds, 2.1 blocks
....
Nobody finds it a little alarming that WCS saw minimal production over three years of college ball? If he was worthy of more minutes, why wouldn't he have gotten more minutes?
Fwiw, Noel's freshman stats are underrated: 10.5 points, 9.5 rebounds, 4.4 blocks, 2.1 steals, 59% shooting
Fwiw, Noel saw improvement from the first and second half of his rookie NBA season:
Pre all-star: 8.2 points, 7.2 rebounds, 1.7 blocks, 1.6 steals, 45%/56%
Post all-star: 13 points, 10 rebounds, 2.3 blocks, 2.1 steals 49%/66%
Is it possible that WCS spent 3 years of college ball with minimal improvement and will suddenly show up in the NBA and blossom? Maybe. Doubt it. I'm not hating on him. I'd welcome him in Boston. He should be a solid defensive rim protector and if he falls to 9, we should make a play for him. But solid defensive rim protector is exactly what i see Bismack Biyombo as.... and he's a free agent.
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